Acid test for government
Decision to snap power connections
Chandigarh, December 8
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam’s decision to snap the electricity connections of defaulters would put to test the Haryana Government’s strategy of dealing with the enduring problem of non-payment of electricity bills by rural consumers.

Soaring profit fails to end power crisis
Hisar, December 8
Despite a marked increase in the revenue earned by the state power corporations, residents are facing an acute power crisis even during this part of the year.
While on the one hand the DHBVN earned an all-time-high revenue of Rs 201 crore during the month of November, on the other hand, electricity consumers are facing grave inconvenience due to erratic power supply and long and unscheduled power cuts.

Haryana attracts Rs 350 cr investment
Panchkula, December 8
The near exhaustion of the industrial land bank in Gurgaon and Faridabad — considered to be the hub of industrial activity in Haryana — has led to the rapid investment and development of industrial estates in other parts of the state.

Arrest of union leader’s kidnappers sought
Panipat, December 8
Demanding arrest of the accused factory owners who kidnapped the IFTU district president yesterday from Panipat, Mr Sant Ram Kushwaha, workers of Pitloom and Handloom Industries today observed a strike. A number of agitated workers staged a rally at Circus Ground and later marched toward Bal Bhavan and sat on a dharna outside the DC office.

Mathur to head finance panel
Chandigarh, December 8
Another former Chief Secretary of Haryana today got re-employment when the state government constituted the Third Finance Commission under the chairmanship of Mr
A.N. Mathur, IAS(retd).

Kidwai attends mass marriage function
Kurukshetra, December 8
The Haryana Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, called upon people to work with zeal and dedication so that the country could usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of a mass marriage function organised by the Gita Jayanti Samiti here today, he urged voluntary organisations to help uplift the downtrodden.

Vacancies of doctors to be filled soon
Ambala, December 8
The Haryana Health Minister, Ms Kartari Devi, today said that the process of filling vacancies of doctors was currently on and the shortage of doctors would be solved soon.

“Soil health” to be tested
Chandigarh, December 8
The Haryana Agriculture Department will test the “soil health” of panchayat lands free of cost and the compaign will be started from Rohtak. The local MP, Mr Deepender Singh Hooda, will start the compaign on December 10 by inaugurating a modern soil health testing laboratory constructed at a cost of about Rs 25 lakh.

Status report sought
Chandigarh, December 8
The High Court on Thursday expressed unhappiness over the failure of the Haryana Government to prevent the misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes in Faridabad. The Bench of the Chief Justice, Mr Justice D.K. Jain, and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta also sought a detailed status report in this regard, warning that if necessary steps were not taken, the court could even summon the Chief Secretary.

Undertrial shot
Kurukshetra, December 8
An undertrial prisoner belonging to Batta village in Kaithal district, was shot dead when he was being taken back from the District Courts to Hisar jail today, the police said. Dilbagh Singh was declared dead when brought to the Civil Hospital here.

Absconding Cong leader nabbed
Karnal, December 8
The CIA Staff of the district police last night banned local Congress leader Vijay Sharma who had been avoiding his arrest since registration of an FIR against him and several others, including his relatives.

Boy, girl jump into
WYC, die
Yamunanagar, December 8
In an apparent ‘suicide pact’, a boy and a girl jumped into the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) near Tajewala head waterworks, about 40 km from here, last evening. The bodies were fished out by daily-waged labourers.

Chandigarh, December 8
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam’s decision to snap the electricity connections of defaulters would put to test the Haryana Government’s strategy of dealing with the enduring problem of non-payment of electricity bills by rural consumers.

The DHBVN has directed its field officers to disconnect all those connections against which payment of bills is pending for the last two billing cycles or more. To effect disconnection, special teams would be constituted and each team would be responsible for disconnection or recovery from at least 20 defaulters per day.

The step is understood to be part of the carrot and stick policy adopted by the State Government to persuade the defaulters to settle their pending dues. In June, the government had announced a scheme aimed at putting an end to the chronic problem of non-payment of power bills by rural consumers. It had laid down that 10 per cent of the arrears of defaulters would be written off with the payment of each of the next 10 bills on a two month cycle basis. Thus, if a consumer pays regularly and uninterruptedly his power bills for the next 20 months, his entire arrears would stand paid off. The scheme, announced initially for a period of three months, was later extended up to November 30.

The decision to disconnect the electricity lines of defaulters has been taken following the expiry of the scheme. It was learnt that the scheme was not extended beyond November because the response to the scheme by defaulters during the month was insignificant.

According to official figures, there were 14 lakh defaulting consumers in the state when the waiver scheme was announced. Out of the 14 lakh defaulting consumers, more than 8.5 lakh defaulters have joined the scheme by the time it came to a close. Over five lakh defaulters ignored the offer.

Contrary to popular perception, it is not that the agricultural power bills only that are pending. In fact the number of agricultural defaulters is much less than the number of consumers who have not been paying for domestic consumption of power.

Since, agricultural tariff is much lower than what is charged for domestic power, the waiver scheme has also evoked much better response from agricultural defaulters. There were 2.5 lakh agricultural defaulters and barring 25,000 of them, the remaining defaulters have opted the scheme. On the other hand, there were 11.5 lakh domestic defaulters. While 6.5 lakh domestic defaulters have embraced the scheme, five lakh consumers have not responded to the scheme.

This makes it an uphill task for the State Government to enforce its drive of snapping connections of the defaulters in the villages. The phenomenon of non-payment of electricity bills is primarily found in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the DHBVN and attempts made by successive governments earlier to compel the defaulters to pay their pending arrears had always created problems.

In the recent past, at least six people died in police firing and the ruling party suffered serious erosion in its support base when the State Government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala tried to wield the stick to punish the defaulters.

Hisar, December 8
Despite a marked increase in the revenue earned by the state power corporations, residents are facing an acute power crisis even during this part of the year.

While on the one hand the DHBVN earned an all-time-high revenue of Rs 201 crore during the month of November, on the other hand, electricity consumers are facing grave inconvenience due to erratic power supply and long and unscheduled power cuts.

The Haryana Power Distribution Corporation authorities maintain that the power-generating projects feeding the northern power grid are presently not generating power due to one reason or the other.

Moreover, electricity demand in the agriculture sector for rabi crop, particularly in the single-crop areas, is increasing sharply.

Due to the high demand and short supply, the frequency is hovering at a very low level of 48.50 to 49 hertz. The officials point out that the low frequency compels power cuts on account of load shedding.

To avoid the unscheduled power cuts and ensure regular and qualitative power supply to the agricultural sector, the power corporations have decided to restrict power supply to large industries, drawing power through independent and industrial feeders, for eight hours a day, from 4 am to 7 am and 4 pm to 9 pm.

The timings of power supply to the rural areas have also been changed. The rural areas will now get electricity for 12 to 16 hours a day in two groups, including three-phase power supply for five to eight hours daily.

The agricultural sector in single-crop areas of southern Haryana will be given three-phase power supply for up to eight hours a day.

Panchkula, December 8
The near exhaustion of the industrial land bank in Gurgaon and Faridabad — considered to be the hub of industrial activity in Haryana — has led to the rapid investment and development of industrial estates in other parts of the state.

Defying the perceived notion that industrialisation in Haryana is restricted only in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) has focussed on and attracted investment worth Rs 350 crore for the rapid industrialisation in the districts of Sonepat, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Fatehabad, Jhajjar and Sirsa.

Officials in the HSIDC have informed TNS that the Textile and Hosiery Park being developed at Barhi in Sonepat will catalyse an investment of Rs 205 crore. As many as 107 industrial plots have been allotted in this park. Encouraged by the success, the HSIDC is in the process of developing Phase II of the park. About 300 acres of land has been acquired and land development work has begun.

The Barwala Industrial Estate in Panchkula, which was considered a bad investment option till a year ago, has also
attracted investors. As many as 90 industrial plots (which will catalyse Rs 100 crore) have now been allotted. Similarly, 30 industrial plots have been allotted in the Manakpur Industrial Estate in Yamunanagar, attracting an investment of Rs 25 crore. As many as 54 plots have been allotted in the Sirsa Industrial Estate, catalysing an investment of Rs 15 crore.

An investment of Rs 2. 50 crore is being realised through the allotment of 21 plots in Tohana. The Managing Director, HSIDC, Mr Rajiv Arora, informed TNS that the new industrial policy announced by the Haryana Government had played a vital role in the industrial investment in districts other than those falling in the NCR. He agreed that with the industrial estates in Gurgaon and Faridabad having been allotted, the industrial estates in other parts of the state, too, were getting a fillip.

"Recently, we invited applications for the allotment of 506 industrial plots in Bahadurgarh — 350 plots in footwear park and 156 plots in the multi-product park. We have received as many as 2500 applications, a proof of the investor's faith in our industrial policies," he said.

Mr Arora said though the HSIDC had not advertised for the 150 industrial plots in Kundli and Rai, they had already received 2,000 applications.

Panipat, December 8
Demanding arrest of the accused factory owners who kidnapped the IFTU district president yesterday from Panipat, Mr Sant Ram Kushwaha, workers of Pitloom and Handloom Industries today observed a strike. A number of agitated workers staged a rally at Circus Ground and later marched toward Bal Bhavan and sat on a dharna outside the DC office.

Addressing the crowd at Circus Ground, the national treasure of the IFTU, Mr Ram Naresh Tyagi, condemned the kidnapping of the factory workers’ leader. Coming heavily upon the district administration, he demanded immediate arrest of the factory owners who allegedly attempted to murder the union leader.

A group of about 20 factory owners had kidnapped Mr Kushwaha from the office of the Labour Officer, Panipat, yesterday and later released him at Samalakha police station late last evening.

Mr Tyagi said the workers would not go to work until the accused were arrested and announced to gherao the state Assembly at Chandigarh on December 14 against the indifferent attitude of the state authorities.

Slogan-raising workers demanded withdrawal of false cases filed against the workers’ leaders. The labourers demand implementation of the Labour Act.

Chandigarh, December 8
Another former Chief Secretary of Haryana today got re-employment when the state government constituted the Third Finance Commission under the chairmanship of Mr
A.N. Mathur, IAS(retd).

Since the Hooda Government has come to power Mr Mathur is the third former Chief Secretary to get a post-retirement assignment. First was Mr Sunil Ahuja, who was appointed Adviser to the Chief Minister on the development of the National Capital Region. However, he was unceremoniously sacked after a couple of months after he allegedly behaved in an unofficer like manner.

His successor, Mr G. Madhavan was appointed the Chief Information Commissioner of Haryana under the Right to Information Act. His tenure will be for five years.

In the past the Finance Commissions were headed by politicians. While the first commission constituted by the Bhajan Lal Government was headed by Mr Rajinder Singh
Bisla, then sitting MLA, the second commission set up by the Chautala Government was under the chairmanship of Mr Suraj Bhan Kajal, a former MLA.

An official spokesman said here today that the commission would submit its report by December 31, 2006.

The convener of the Vidya Peeth Brahmchari Brahmsawroop said a medical college would be set up at Kurukshetra after Swami Devender Sawroop Brahmchari. An international public school would be set up at Rishikesh in Uttaranchal.

Ambala, December 8
The Haryana Health Minister, Ms Kartari Devi, today said that the process of filling vacancies of doctors was currently on and the shortage of doctors would be solved soon.

Ms Kartari Devi was in Ambala to preside over the District Grievances Committee meeting held at Panchayat Bhavan, Ambala city.

She said regarding female foeticide, district-level committees had been formed which would carry out inspection of ultrasound centres on a regular basis. She said there were indications that there had been improvement in the sex ratio but the correct statistics would be available only through the March 31, 2006 report. She said that awareness programmes were being run throughout the state.

Ms Kartari Devi said to reduce the mortality rate of mother and child during delivery, 300 delivery huts were being set up in Haryana and 10 such delivery huts were being constructed in Ambala district.

She directed the governments doctors to give medicines which were made available through the Health Department and the doctors should prescribe medicines from outside only during need. She said that if a medicine was available in the hospital and the doctor had been found to have prescribed it from outside, then strict action would be taken against the doctor. TNS

Chandigarh, December 8
The Haryana Agriculture Department will test the “soil health” of panchayat lands free of cost and the compaign will be started from Rohtak. The local MP, Mr Deepender Singh Hooda, will start the compaign on December 10 by inaugurating a modern soil health testing laboratory constructed at a cost of about Rs 25 lakh. The sarpanches of two villages from each block of the district will be issued “soil health cards” in the function.

Stating this here today the Director, Agriculture, Mr Rajesh Khullar, said the compaign for testing soil health of panchayat land in the state would be completed in three months. The health cards will have all the particulars about contents of soil like minerals, salts and other chemicals.

Chandigarh, December 8
The High Court on Thursday expressed unhappiness over the failure of the Haryana Government to prevent the misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes in Faridabad. The Bench of the Chief Justice, Mr Justice D.K. Jain, and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta also sought a detailed status report in this regard, warning that if necessary steps were not taken, the court could even summon the Chief Secretary.

During the hearing of a petition filed by the All Sectors HUDA Market Welfare Association, Faridabad, seeking directions to ensure an end to the misuse of residential premises, the petitioner’s counsel stated that the practice was rampant in the Housing Board colonies and sectors developed by HUDA. The Bench later adjourned the matter to January 4.

Kurukshetra, December 8
An undertrial prisoner belonging to Batta village in Kaithal district, was shot dead when he was being taken back from the District Courts to Hisar jail today, the police said. Dilbagh Singh was declared dead when brought to the Civil Hospital here.

SP Sajay Kumar said the deceased was facing trial in Kurukshetra in a case of corruption. He was brought here from Hisar jail where he had been lodged under many criminal cases, including the murder case.

When he was being taken back to Hisar jail in a Haryana Roadways bus, some persons fired at him at Pindarsi bus stop.
— PTI

Karnal, December 8
The CIA Staff of the district police last night banned local Congress leader Vijay Sharma who had been avoiding his arrest since registration of an FIR against him and several others, including his relatives.

The FIR was registered against him on the charge of attempt of murder two persons on June 23 this year.

Confirming his arrest, a police spokesman said he was remanded in police
custody for one day by a city court.

The spokesman said all the other accused had already been arrested, while Vijay Sharma had been absconding since then.

Yamunanagar, December 8
In an apparent ‘suicide pact’, a boy and a girl jumped into the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) near Tajewala head waterworks, about 40 km from here, last evening. The bodies were fished out by daily-waged labourers.

The deceased have been identified as Karandeep Singh (22) of Bilaspur block here and the girl as Meenu of a village in Paonta Sahib of Himachal Pradesh. Their identities were established from the belongings they had left on the bank of the WYC before taking the extreme step. They reportedly jumped together in the water.